"The Learning Power of Listening guide is intended for those who wish to coordinate, participate in, or support the use of SenseMaker—a complexity-aware, narrative-based method—in conducting assessments, monitoring progress, and carrying out evaluations or research. The guide can be used for per
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sonal reference or for training others involved in a SenseMaker process. The experiences on which the guide is based, as well as the examples used, focus mainly on development programs, and particularly on efforts that focus on poverty reduction, social justice, peacebuilding, resilience, behavioral change, and restoring and protecting natural resources. They come from organizations and programs that have used SenseMaker over the last decade. The guide starts with considerations for judging the suitability of the method, followed by descriptions of the four phases of any SenseMaker process. Besides detailed guidance on preparing for and implementing a SenseMaker process, examples, and advice are offered for each phase. Despite its practical focus, this is not a do-it-yourself guide: there is no shortcut to learning SenseMaker. Mastering its practice requires deep, hands-on involvement in at least one to two processes from start to finish. Guidance from an experienced SenseMaker practitioner is also recommended. The guide summarizes practices that have evolved in international development, providing practical tips and examples of context-specific adaptations." (About this guide, page 9)
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"Part A introduces theory of change (ToC) and Hivos’ perspective on ToC thinking: what it is, what you should know before you start, and key features of ToC thinking that you need to understand in order to be able to use the approach effectively and reap the benefits of the process. ‘Theory of C
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hange’ as a term is used by an increasing number of organisations and demanded by donors, but is not always understood in the same way. Hivos has developed its own understanding of the process and what good quality ToC work is all about. All users who are not fully acquainted with a ToC approach and/or are new to Hivos will benefit from reading this part. Part B is a stepwise approach to guide you through the process of developing a ToC for different purposes. Here you will find also information on how to use specific tools recommended for each step. This is the most practical part of the document. Part B also includes ideas for a ToC Quality Audit that can be used to check whether all the necessary components are elaborated with sufficient quality. Such an audit is useful in two situations. First, for staff responsible for assessing proposals, either from partner organisations to Hivos, or from Hivos to other donors. It can also be used as an extra check at the end of a table of contents; design process by the team involved in the process. Second, for those involved in the review of the ToC of an ongoing intervention. Part C contains references to tools suggested in Part B, as well as resources and sites where you can find more information about ToC use." (Page 8)
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"Real-life practice is poorly understood and undervalued as a distinct professional domain. Written by practitioners, this innovative publication is designed to make capacity development more professional and increasingly effective in achieving development goals. Practical illustrations draw on expe
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riences from the civic, government and private sectors. A central theme is to understand capacity as more than something internal to organisations. This book shows how capacity also stems from connections between different types of actor and the levels in society at which they operate. The content is crafted for a broad audience of practitioners in capacity development: consultants, managers, front-line workers, trainers, facilitators, leaders, advisors, programme staff, activists, and funding agencies." (http://www.snvworld.org/en/Pages/CapacityDevelopment.aspx, 24.3.2011)
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"Las organizaciones promotoras del desarrollo necesitan saber qué tan efectivos han sido sus esfuerzos. ¿Pero quién debe hacer estos juicios, y con qué fundamentos? Normalmente son los expertos externos los que se encargan de esta misión. El seguimiento y evaluación participativos (SEP) es un
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enfoque metodológico diferente que implica que los pobladores locales, los organismos de desarrollo y los tomadores de decisiones se reúnan para decidir juntos cómo se debe medir el progreso, y qué acción se debe tomar a partir de los resultados de una evaluación. El SEP puede mostrar valiosas lecciones y mejorar la legitimidad de los proyectos de desarrollo. Sin embargo, es un proceso que implica muchos retos para todos los actores implicados, ya que conmina a la gente a examinar sus suposiciones sobre lo que significa el progreso y a enfrentar las contradicciones y los conflictos que surjan al hacerlo." (Resumen)
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